Reading Old English: A Primer and First Reader, First Edition

Summary

With the immersion method dominating contemporary language learning, the knowledge of traditional grammar is at a low ebb, creating real barriers to any student wanting to learn dead or historical languages. This revised edition of Reading Old English aims to equip readers (advanced undergraduates, graduate students, and autodidacts) with the necessary tools to read the oldest recorded forms of the English language by explaining key language features clearly and methodically, without dumbing down or simplifying any of the core grammatical concepts. It includes a number of helpful exercises, a variety of interesting and unusual Old English texts to translate, as well as appendices covering the basics of traditional grammar and sound changes in Old English, along with an introduction to poetic structure.

Contents

PREFACE

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ABBREVIATIONS

CHAPTER ONE (Old English Alphabets and Pronunciation)

Lesson One: Old English Alphabets

A Crash Course in Anglo-Saxon Paleography

Lesson Two: Pronunciation

The Briefest Possible Guide to Pronouncing Old English

Detailed Description of Old English Pronunciation

General Guidelines

Vowels

Old English/Modern Vowel Equivalents

International Phonetic Alphabet

Vowels and Diphthongs

Consonant Sounds

Voice

Classifying Consonants

Stops

Fricatives

Affricates

Liquids

Semivowels

Nasals

Old English Consonants

Exercise 1.9.1: Pronouncing OE Vowels

Exercise 1.9.2: Pronouncing OE Diphthongs

Exercise 1.9.3: Pronouncing OE Consonants

Exercise 1.9.4: IPA Exercise

Exercise 1.9.5: Pronounciation Practice

CHAPTER TWO (Getting Started: Nouns)

Lesson One: Nouns

Anatomy of a Sentence

What the Endings Do

Gender

Ælfric on the Concept of Gender

A Few Tips

The Definite Article (the)

Indefinitely (The Indefinite Article)

Pronoun Preview

Lesson Two: Main Noun Groups

Ælfric on Nouns

Regular Masculines

Regular Feminines

Regular Neuters

Short and Long Stems

Looking Up

Syncopate!

Dæġ / Dagas Alternation

O-Wo-Jo, A-Wa-Ja Stems

Exercise 2.1: Identifying Short and Long Stems

Lesson Three: The Concept of Case

Nominative

Accusative

Genitive

Dative

Instrumental

Ælfric on the Concept of Case

Exercise 2.2: Understanding Case

Exercise 2.3: Getting the Grammar Right

Reading II: Practice Sentences

Vocabulary for Reading

Lessons Learned

CHAPTER THREE (“Weak” Nouns and Regular Verbs)

Lesson One: Weak Nouns

Spotting Weak Nouns

Masculine Weak Nouns

Feminine Weak Nouns

Neuter Weak Nouns

Summary of Weak Noun Endings

Exercise 3.1: Understanding Case and Weak Nouns

Lesson Two: Weak Verbs

Ælfric on Verbs

Principal Parts of OE Weak Verbs

Verb Categorization

Classes of Weak Verbs

Weak Verb Endings (Conjugations)

Mood

Indicative

Imperative

Subjunctive

Weak Verbs of Class I

Collapsed Endings

Another Infinitive

-ing Forms (Present Participles)

Sound Changes and Class I Weak Verbs

Weak Verbs of Class II

Distinguishing Weak I from Weak II

Exercise 3.2: Weak Verb Spotting

Reading III.i: The Gospel of Luke

Vocabulary for Reading

Reading III.ii: Exeter Book Riddle #82

Vocabulary for Reading

Lessons Learned

CHAPTER FOUR (Weak Verbs Class III and Irregular Verbs)

Lesson One: Weak Verbs, Class III

Weak Verbs Class III: habban, hycgan, libban and secgan

Timesavers

Genitive Objects

Contractions

Exercise 4.1: Learning Weak III Verbs

Vocabulary for Exercise

Exercise 4.2: More Reverse Translation

Vocabulary for Exercise

Distinctive Endings

Lesson Two: Unusual and Irregular Verb Forms

Preterite (Past)-Present Verbs

Important Preterite-Present Helping Verbs

Other Important Preterite-Present Verbs

Timesavers

Negatives

Preterite-Present Verb Conjugation

Let’s Shall

Some Irregularities: Anomalous Verbs

Timesavers

Time and Being (wesan vs. bēon)

Negatives

Anomalous Verbs: dōn, gān

willan, nyllan

Timesavers

I-Mutation

Implied Motion

Exercise 4.3: How to Stop Worrying and Live with Preterite-Present and Irregular Verbs

Exercise 4.4: Translation Exercise

Vocabulary for Exercise

Reading IV: Wonders of the East (1)

Vocabulary for Reading

Lessons Learned

CHAPTER FIVE (Learning How to Translate)

Step 1: Locating Clauses

Subordination

Exercise 5.1: Locating Clauses

Step 2: Finding the Complete Verb

Verbs with a Complex

Having and Being

Timesavers

Weorðan

Helpful verbs

Some Small Exceptions

Compounding the Problem

A Practice Run

Tenses

Accusative with Infinitive Constructions

Another Wrinkle

Exercise 5.2: Translating Accusative with Infinitives

Vocabulary for Exercise

Summary

Exercise 5.3: Finding the Complete Verb

Step 3: Finding the Subject

A Practice Run

Exercise 5.4: Finding the Subject

Step 4: Sorting Out the Rest

Find the Direct Objects

A Practice Run: The Search for Objects

The Dative Rule

The Genitive Rule

Exercise 5.5: Applying the Dative and Genitive Rules

Vocabulary for Exercise

A Practice Run

Pulling it All Together

Exercise 5.6: Sorting Out the Rest

Vocabulary for Exercises

Reading V: Wonders of the East (2)

Latin Original

Vocabulary for Reading

Lessons Learned

CHAPTER SIX (Adjectives and Adverbs, Prepositions)

Lesson One: Adjectives

Strong Adjectives

Timesavers

Adjectives Ending in –u

Strong and Weak Adjectives

Weak Adjectives

Exercise 6.1: Recognizing “Strong” and “Weak” Adjectives

Vocabulary for Exercise

Participles as Adjectives

Exercise 6.2: Participles as Adjectives

Vocabulary for Exercise

Lesson Two: Comparative and Superlative Forms

Ælfric on Adjectives

Comparative + Personal Ending

Superlatives

“Than” Marker

Comparative as Intensifier

Irregular Adjectives with Different Roots

Exercise 6.3: Recognizing Comparatives and Superlatives

Vocabulary for Exercise

Lesson Three: Adverbs

Ælfric on Adverbs

Irregular Forms

Comparative and Superlative Forms

Irregular Forms

Exercise 6.4: Distinguishing Adverbs from Adjectives

Vocabulary for Exercise

Lesson Four: Prepositions

Exceptional

Post-Positions

Either/Or Prepositions

Instrumental

Exercise 6.4: Prepositional Phrases

Vocabulary for Exercise

A Puzzle

Reading VI: Wonders of the East (3)

Latin Original

Vocabulary for Reading

Lessons Learned

CHAPTER SEVEN (Personal Pronouns, Reflexives, Relatives)

Lesson One: Personal Pronouns

First Person

Second Person

Third Person

Agreements and Disagreements

Ælfric on Pronouns

Timesavers

Definite Article as Pronoun

Reduced Endings

Exercise 7.1: Personal Pronouns

Vocabulary for Exercise

Possessive

Timesaver

Datives of Possession

Lesson Two: Reflexive Pronouns

Verbs which Require a Reflexive

Exercise 7.2: Possessive and Reflexive Pronouns

Vocabulary for Exercise

Lesson Three: Who/Which (Relative Pronouns)

Three Alternatives

Indeclinable Particle þe

A Definite Article + þe

A Definite Article Alone

Headless Sentences

Exercise 7.3: Relative Pronouns

Vocabulary for Exercise

Why?: Interrogative Pronouns

This and That: Demonstrative Pronouns

Miscellaneous Pronouns

Whatever, Whoever

Reading VII.i: Prognostics (1)

Vocabulary for Reading

Reading VII.ii: Monastic Sign Language

Vocabulary for Reading

Lessons Learned

CHAPTER EIGHT (Strong Verbs I)

Lesson One: Definitions

Strong Verb Classes

Class 1 Strong Verbs

Class 2 Strong Verbs

Class 3 Strong Verbs

Class 4 Strong Verbs

Exercise 8.1: Conjugating Strong Verbs

Lesson Two: Conjugation of Strong Verbs

bītan and bēodan

bindan and brecan

Lesson Three: Summary of Base Forms

Timesavers

Syncopation and Assimilation

Mutating Vowels

Exercise 8.2: Understanding Class 1-4 Strong Verbs

Exercise 8.3: Recognizing Syncopation, Assimilation, and I-Mutation

Exercise 8.4: Translation Practice

Vocabulary for Exercise

Reading VIII.i: Prognostics (2)

Vocabulary for Reading

Reading VIII.ii: From Vercelli Homily IX (1)

Vocabulary for Reading

Lessons Learned

CHAPTER NINE (Strong Verbs II)

Lesson One: Classes 5-7

Class 5 Strong Verbs

Class 6 Strong Verbs

Class 7 Strong Verbs

Lesson Two: Conjugation of Strong Verbs

sprecan and standan

hātan and gangan

Lesson Three: A Few Exceptions

Some Irregular Strong Verbs

biddan, licgan, steppan, and wēpan

Exercise 9.1: Understanding Class 5, 6, and 7 Strong Verbs

Exercise 9.2: Infinitives

Exercise 9.3: Translation Exercise

Vocabulary for Exercise

Reading IX: Vercelli Homily IX (2)

Vocabulary for Reading

Lessons Learned

CHAPTER TEN (Rarer Noun Forms)

-/e/ in the Nominative

Endings with –w-

Masculines

Neuters

Feminines

Feminine –jo- Stems

Foot-Feet (I-Mutation) Nouns

Mother/Father Nouns

U-Nouns

Abstract Feminine Nouns in -þu /-þo

Children Nouns

Noun Stems Ending in –þ

Nouns from Present Participles

I-stem Nouns

Masculine, Neuter

Feminine

Exercise 10.1: Translation

Vocabulary for Exercise

Exercise 10.2: Translation

Vocabulary for Exercise

Reading X: Vercelli Homily IX (3)

Vocabulary for Reading

Lessons Learned

CHAPTER ELEVEN (Contract Verbs, Impersonal Constructions)

Lesson One: Contract Verbs

Contract Verbs by Class

Conjugation of Contract Verbs

þēon and tēon

sēon and fōn

Exercise 11.1: Understanding the Forms of Contract Verbs

Exercise 11.2: Infinitives

Exercise 11.3: Translating Contract Verbs

Vocabulary for Exercise

Lesson Two: Impersonals

Exercise 11.4: Recognizing Impersonal Constructions

Vocabulary for Exercise

Reading XI: The Human Fetus

Vocabulary for Reading

Lessons Learned

APPENDIX ONE: A Basic Introduction to Traditional Grammar

APPENDIX TWO: Summary of Sound Changes

ADDITIONAL READINGS

The Old English Gloss to Ælfric’s Latin Colloquy

Four /Lives/ of St. Æðeldryð

Account of St. Æðeldr ð in Bede’s Ecclesiastical History of the English People

Account of St. Æðeldr ð in the OE Translation of Bede’s Ecclesiastical History

The Brief Life of St. Æðeldr ð from the OE Martyrology

Ælfric’s Life of St. Æðeldr ð

Æðeldr ð in the News

A Quick Guide to Old English Poetry

The Wife’s Lament

MAIN GLOSSARY

Author

Robert Hasenfratz and Thomas J. Jambeck are both Professors of Medieval Studies at University of Connecticut.

Reviews

"Other introductory texts seem reluctant to abandon the 'serious' philological and historical background to Old English, a reluctance that can have serious consequences for the subject's appeal to today's students. By focusing on the main goal of learning to translate Old English texts, students gain access to this fascinating body of literature much more quickly. Their confidence is bolstered, and as my experience has shown, many of them go on to learn more about the language and culture once they have mastered the basics. In short, this approach generates enthusiasm and a desire to learn, rather than stifling it."David F. Johnson, Florida State University